From growing up in Uruguay to helping attractions across North America create better guest experiences, Lucas Appratto has taken an unconventional path into the attractions industry. Before joining Vantage, he worked on the operator side in everything from HR and marketing to food and beverage, retail, and guest services, giving him a unique perspective on the challenges parks face every day.
Today, as Customer Success Manager, Lucas works closely with operators to help them get the most from the Vantage platform, guiding implementations, solving operational challenges, and ensuring every project delivers real value long after go-live.
We sat down with Lucas to learn more about his journey, what excites him about the industry, and why he believes understanding operations is the key to creating better guest experiences.
Tell us a little about yourself.
I was born and raised in Uruguay before moving to Orlando when I was 14. Half of my family already lived in Florida, and after coming over for what was supposed to be a summer vacation, I decided to stay. Looking back, it was a huge decision for a teenager to make, but it opened the door to opportunities I probably wouldn’t have had otherwise.
I originally thought I was going to become a surgeon and even went so far as to participate in emergency medicine competitions during high school. Eventually I realized I wanted a career where I could start making an impact much sooner, so I changed directions and studied business at Valencia College in Orlando.
How did you get started in the attractions industry?
My first job was with Panera Bread, where I became a regional training manager at just 18. Because the role saw me doing a lot of training and hiring, for my next job I moved into HR at Island H2O water park before I transitioned into marketing, which is what I had been studying.
Once I moved into marketing, I tackled pretty much every area that the park had to communicate in. I moved our social media and graphic design work from an agency in-house and built seasonal content calendars, created campaigns, managed our social channels, and even supported marketing initiatives across other parks within the Premier Parks portfolio. I loved working at the park because you could immediately see the impact your work had on guests. Every day brought a new opportunity to create experiences that made people excited to visit.
What made you decide to join Vantage?
There were really two things; the first was technology. I’ve always enjoyed solving problems and finding better ways to do things, so the opportunity to work with technology that directly improves the guest experience was exciting.
The second was growth. I had reached a point where I was handling almost every aspect of marketing at the park, but there wasn’t a clear path to continue developing my career. I wanted to challenge myself somewhere I could continue learning and have an even bigger impact.
One experience really confirmed that Vantage was the right place for me. While I was still working at Island H2O, I collaborated with Aaron Mendelson (Senior VP at Vantage) and the Cortech ticketing team on the concept that eventually became virtual pass processing. Seeing that idea evolve into a real product and ultimately help Vantage earn an industry Impact Award showed me that ideas were valued, regardless of where they came from.
What does a typical day look like as a Customer Success Manager?
Honestly, there isn’t one. Every day is different, and that’s what I enjoy most about the role. I might spend one morning helping a park configure a guest workflow, the afternoon working through feature requests with our product team, and the rest of the day troubleshooting operational challenges with clients.
A big part of my job is understanding how each park wants guests to interact with technology. Every operator runs a little differently, so it’s about asking the right questions, finding the best solution with the tools available today, and identifying opportunities for future product improvements.
How does your experience working at a park help you today?
It’s probably one of the biggest advantages I have. Marketing wasn’t the only department I worked in. Over the years I also spent time in guest services, dispatch, food and beverage, and retail. Having that hands-on experience means I understand what our clients are dealing with because I’ve been in those situations myself. It also helps when something unexpected happens during an implementation. I know how stressful operating days can be, so I try to provide practical solutions that keep the operation moving while we work through longer-term fixes.
What’s surprised you most since joining Vantage?
How similar every attraction really is. Before working with zoos, I assumed they would operate completely differently from amusement parks or water parks. In reality, the fundamentals are very similar. Guest flow, admissions, food and beverage, retail, staffing, and operations all face many of the same challenges.
One thing I’ve also noticed is that every venue is trying to balance the priorities of marketing and operations. Marketing wants to create incredible guest experiences, while operations has to ensure everything runs smoothly and safely. Finding that balance is something every attraction works through, regardless of the type of venue.
What’s the most rewarding part of your job?
Go-live days. No matter how much planning goes into a project, there are always situations you can’t predict until guests start arriving. Being on site, helping teams work through those moments, building standard operating procedures, and giving operators confidence in the system is quite an adrenaline rush. Sometimes it’s something as simple as identifying a ticket configuration issue that’s preventing guests from entering the park. Watching the gates go from a standstill to guests flowing through smoothly after making a quick adjustment reminds you why the work matters.
What are you most excited about for the future?
The next evolution of the Vantage Guest App. Working closely with operators means I hear every day what would make their jobs easier and create a better guest experience. It’s exciting to see many of those conversations now influencing the product roadmap.
Knowing that customer feedback is helping shape future features is one of the things I enjoy most about working at Vantage.
Quick Questions
What are you currently watching?
House of the Dragon. I’m a huge Game of Thrones fan.
What hobby have you picked up recently?
Pickleball. I never thought I’d get into it, but I’ve really been enjoying it.
How do you like spending your weekends?
Visiting local theme parks with friends. Living in Orlando definitely has its advantages!
If you could instantly become an expert in one thing, what would it be?
Understanding human behaviour. I think being able to better understand why people make decisions would help you communicate better and build even better guest experiences.
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Thank you, Lucas, for sharing your journey with us! While every team member brings a different background and perspective, they all share the same goal: helping attractions deliver exceptional guest experiences through smarter, connected technology.
Meet the people behind Vantage at www.vantage.co/meet-our-team
